You may already understand that your heating and AC equipment needs seasonal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) maintenance, but did you know that you also should have an expert perform your annual plumbing maintenance? Roland J. Down Service Experts offers the Plumbing PLUS™ Maintenance Agreement for Albany homeowners to help them uncover issues before they become big problems. While we recommend calling immediately for plumbing problems and arrange for your plumbing maintenance annually, here are a few ways you can get your home in great plumbing shape for spring.
- Verify any plumbing leaks
Look at your home’s faucets and toilets for any leaks. Make sure there isn’t any water dripping out of or around the connections when you turn off your faucets. If there is, swapping out the fixtures or repairing the leak could help enhance the faucet’s operation and may even save you money on your water bill.
After the faucets, check any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can typically see visible pipes in basements and below sinks. Sometimes pipes can freeze and then crack so spring is the perfect time to make sure the winter weather didn’t cause any damage or plumbing problems.
- Give your drains some long overdue TLC
Check your toilet for any leaks or cracks in the bowl and the tank. If everything looks like it’s in good condition, go ahead and put about six drops of food dye into the water in the tank. Wait 30 minutes and then look at the bowl. If the bowl is not colored with the dye, you’re good to go. If the food coloring appears in the bowl, you may have a leak and will want to call a plumbing expert.
- Remember your water heater maintenance
If a stench seems to be coming from any of the drains in your home, it could be an indication that plumbing maintenance is needed. A properly working drain shouldn’t release odors into the air. Confirm there are strains placed in all your drains to prevent hair and other waste from spoiling in the pipes and resulting in a clog. After you’ve treated with a common drain cleaner, pour a gallon of water through drains that are not used often. This will fill the trap and help to stop odors from getting in and filling up your home.
Your water heater takes great care of you so ensure you’re returning the favor. Remember that newer water heaters have more energy efficiency, so if yours is older than 15 years, it may be about time to purchase a new one in order to ensure you don’t have that unexpected burst of cold water for several days. Regardless if you plan on purchasing an upgraded water heater, there are some things you can do to help keep it working properly.
Make sure the temperature setting on the equipment is not set higher than 120°F. This will help reduce your energy consumption (and help lower your bills) while also avoiding scalding. For safety sake, you will want to remove any objects from around the water heater. Your yearly Plumbing PLUS Maintenance program includes a water heater maintenance; and it may actually help your water heater be more efficient and avoid plumbing problems moving forward.
These are just a few ways of how to help get your plumbing springtime-ready, but if you are not comfortable completing any of these tasks, please call Roland J. Down Service Experts and we can come out and complete your seasonal plumbing maintenance and rectify (or help prevent) any plumbing problems.